News Article

First Success for Campaign to Change EU’s Position on E-Bike Insurance

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Last Tuesday Bike Europe reported on the number of people that presented their feedback to the European Commission on its decision that regular 25km/h – 250W electric bicycles need to have a third-party liability insurance. This report triggered a response from the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI). It stated that the number of feedbacks passed the threshold for the European Commission to take it seriously.

Passing that threshold of over 500 feedbacks is regarded as “A very important and useful step in the common advocacy campaign which CONEBI together with the European Cyclists’ Federation conducted. This campaign is aimed at the European Parliament and Council in order to obtain a change in the definition of a motor vehicle,” says Manuel Marsilio, GM of CONEBI.

Review of Motor Insurance Directive

This definition change is needed as the European Commission decided that regular 25km/h – 250W electric bicycles need to have a third-party liability insurance as they are now included in the ‘Review of the Motor Insurance Directive’. In order to get the European Parliament and Council to agree to that change the two Federations are now able to point to the fact that 530 feedbacks have been collected, including ones from important stakeholders.

Sidelining previous e-bike regulations

Next to this first success CONEBI and ECF will also argue that the European Commission’s decision on compulsory e-bike insurance is sidelining all previous regulations concerning ordinary electric 250W – 25 km/h e-bikes. These regulations characterize this category as ordinary bicycles for which no legally required insurance applies.

It goes without saying that when such a third-party liability insurance becomes compulsory, it will cause a serious blow to the current and growing popularity of electric bicycles across Europe.